IT may have taken 175 years but the Sans Pareil locomotive has finally returned home to the place where it was built.

Tightly shackled to a low loader and shielded by a green tarpaulin, rail pioneer Timothy Hackworth's most famous creation arrived in Shildon, County Durham, after its journey from the National Railway Museum in York nearly two hours early.

Its low-key arrival meant that no one was there to greet it. But as news of its arrival spread, rail enthusiasts suddenly appeared, cameras at the ready, to catch a glimpse of history.

Among those proudly waiting for the engine's homecoming were Hackworth's two great-grandchildren, Jane Hackworth Young and Ulick Loring, who said they were delighted it was to be one of the star attractions at the multi-million pound railway museum in Shildon.

When asked what their great-great grandfather would think of the occasion Mrs Hackworth Young said: "He might think that perhaps his place in history has been established.

"Gradually through research we are realising how much he did. The Sans Pareil really was at the cutting edge of technology in its time and it had a working life of 35 years, which is good going for a locomotive of that age. We are pleased it has come to the museum. You could say it has gradually made its way home."

Hackworth's descendants and rail enthusiasts alike have been eagerly waiting for months for its arrival since it was announced that Sans Pareil was to be an exhibit at Locomotion: National Railway Museum.

They waited patiently all morning to see it unveiled and taken into the 1884 Sunday School, where it will stand proudly at the centre of an audio-visual introduction to the museum.

A last-minute hitch meant that workers had to abandon the plans to unload it and guide it through a hole in the Sunday School wall which had been created to accommodate it.

Museum bosses and contractors had been planning the return of one of the rail industry's finest treasures for some time faced the hitch once it was in sight.

Museum boss George Muirhead said: "Obviously we are disappointed that we have to wait another day to see it, but we need to make sure we have our sums correct.

"This is a 175-year-old engine and we do not want to damage it in any way.

"We thought we had thought of everything, but on the day we thought perhaps we hadn't and I think that is an indication of how much Locomotion and the National Railway Museum care about our engines."

Those who came watched forlornly as the Sans Pareil was driven away, still under cover. Last night, it was safely stored away in the 6,000sq ft centre built to house more of the NRM's collection.

It will return to Soho Street today to claim its place.